My Hero, My Adversary
by Aiden Crossfire
Summary: During their last year of school, the Frontier gang makes a promise to attend the same university once they graduate. However, what happens when Takuya earns a soccer scholarship overseas in America, specifically Los Angeles? Koji, unwilling to leave his hometown, goes along & meets Alex, a girl with a broken smile. What is in store for him & his friends in the US? Re-written!
1. Chapter 1 : The Pact

**(A/N : Hello, readers! Aiden here! Just wanted to let you know, this is a re-submission of a story I once kept on here. It was called 'My Hero, My Adversary' (obviously), but I took it down because I just didn't have a good feeling of where it was going. Now that it is summer, I have had time to sit down and review all of my ideas and get back to work! I have rewritten parts that may have sounded confusing or just didn't make sense at all, so it won't take long to update to where I left off! So without further ado, I present to you, my beautiful reader, 'My Hero, My Adversary'! Enjoy (: **

Chapter 1: The Pact

Koji's POV

As long as I have lived in Shibuya, I have never experienced a hot summer day like the one today. The streets in my neighborhood were empty for once as the kids had abandoned their outdoor activities and retreated inside to play their video games or whatever they do nowadays. The community pool was filled with families and sunbathers who were trying to get a decent tan in this heat. As I pedaled my bike along towards an ice cream shop where I was meeting my friends, there were a few joggers on the street, taking advantage of the emptiness of shoppers and business folk. It was about mid-afternoon anyway, but it still was nice to have room to ride my bike for a change instead of walking.

I arrived at the ice cream shop, a small store just about 15 minutes from where I lived, and I placed my bike in the stands outside the store. I took a glance into the store to see if my friends had arrived, but as usual, I arrived first. I smiled to myself and sat down on the bench outside. It was hot outside, but it still felt good. I closed my eyes and lifted my face toward the sky as a cool breeze passed over. My name is Koji Minamoto, and I just graduated from high school this past May, and life couldn't be better. I am ready for my own freedom from home and start anew somewhere different than boring old Shibuya. I'm not sure what the future holds, but I am ready to face it, whatever it is.

"Koji! Hey, Koji!" A cheerful voice pulled me away from my current trance as I opened my eyes. A tall girl with long blonde hair and blue-green eyes waved at me from the corner of the street opposite of where I was sitting. With her was a big boy with chestnut hair and big brown eyes. They both had big grins on their faces as they came closer.

As Zoe Orimoto and JP Shibayama crossed the street, I smiled and waved back, saying, "Hey, Zoe, JP!"

I stood up from the bench and gave Zoe a hug and JP a handshake as I asked, "How have you been?"

Zoe gave me a big smile and said, "Oh, you know! Just enjoying freedom from school and ready to start the rest of my life!"

"Same here! Except, I've been done a year and just working, but you already knew that!" JP replied as we walked into the ice cream store.

The ice cream store was definitely one of our favorite hangouts. It is a small store, and the owner, Ms. Aiko, loves her business, especially the teenagers. She serves us any frozen treat we want, like ice cream cones, cup, water ice, gelatis, frozen coffees…. The list goes on and on.

As we each ordered a frozen treat, we took a seat at our table in the corner when Takuya came flying in. As he tried to catch his breath, he gave each of us a goofy grin as he sat down in his chair. Takuya Kanbara is my doofusy best friend and probably always will be. We have been through some tough times together, but he has had my back thick and thin through everything. He was the one who had arranged this meeting with us, saying he had some big news to share.

As Takuya brushed his shaggy brunette hair, he grinned at everyone, his dark brown eyes dancing, and said, "Hey guys! Sorry I'm late, I got caught up playing soccer with some of the dudes from the old high school team!"

Zoe giggled and said, "Typical Takuya, running late because of stupid soccer!"

Takuya glared at her and said, "Well, EXCUUUSE ME! Ms. I'm-So-Perfect-And-On-Time-Blah, blah, blah!"

As Zoe slapped his arm playfully, JP snickered, "Smooth, Takky, smooth!"

"All right, kids! Who's ready for their snacks?" Ms. Aiko announced as she walked over and began to place our frozen treats in front of us, even Takuya. He always orders the same thing - a cherry water ice.

"Thanks, Ms. Aiko!" We exclaimed in unison as we dug into our sweet treats. Takuya was chugging his water ice while JP and Zoe were both enjoying their own chocolate covered vanilla ice cream cones. As for me, I slurped away at my frozen coffee.

As Takuya finished his water ice, he sighed happily and glanced at me. "Hey, Koji. Where's Koichi?"

I put down my frozen coffee and replied, "He's working with our mother today. She needed him to help move some stuff around. I invited him to come, though."

Koichi Kimura was my twin brother. When we were babies, our parents divorced and as they were separated, so were we. Koichi went to live with our mother and I lived with our father. I didn't even know I had a brother until about seven years ago. My father had told me my mother had died when I was born. Then I met Koichi, and there was no denying he was my twin. At that time, I met my mother without my father knowing, and everything was perfect. He still doesn't know that I know she is alive, and I plan to keep it that way.

JP finished his ice cream cone and looked at Takuya and asked, "So, what is this big news you have to share with us?"

I grinned at my best friend crossed my arms, adding, "Yeah, this better be good!"

Takuya grinned and pulled a folded up piece of paper out of his pocket, saying, "You guys remember that pact we made at the beginning of the school year? About going to the same university?"

As everyone agreed with him, he continued. "Well, you know I'm also looking for a soccer scholarship so I can keep playing! After doing some searching, I found a pretty cool university that my cousin goes to and they were looking for some players! So I sent in a few tapes of my games, and I got a spot on the team!"

"Congratulations, Takuya! That's great!" Zoe exclaimed as she hugged Takuya happily.

"That's great, dude! You're going to be famous, and I can brag about knowing someone famous!" JP laughed as he clapped his hands, happy for his friend.

I sat back in my seat, happy for my friend, but I had to ask. "So, where is this school?"

Takuya unfolded the piece of paper and laid it flat on the table, and we all leaned in, reading the name : 'THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA: LOS ANGELES'.

Puzzled, I glanced at Takuya and said, "Los Angeles? As in California, the United States Los Angeles?"

"The States?" Zoe squealed. "I absolutely LOVE the States! AND LOS ANGELES?! Um, HELLO HOLLYWOOD!"

Takuya laughed and replied, "Calm down, Z! Yeah, the United States! THE LOS ANGELES! So, what do you guys think?" He added with a big grin.

Zoe was still excited about thinking about moving to the States, and JP smiled at Takuya and said, "That sounds great! I'm game!"

All three looked at me and I looked down at the paper. Los Angeles? That seemed too far from what I originally had thought. Yeah, it'd be different from Shibuya, but then I couldn't be near my family. Near Koichi.

"Koji, are you okay?" Zoe asked with concern in her voice.

I snapped back into the conversation and said, "It sounds great for you, Takuya, but I don't know… It seems too far from home."

Takuya frowned and retorted, "Come on, Koji! All we dream about is getting out of this town and starting somewhere else new together! This could be our escape!"

"You mean your escape!" I snapped back. "Maybe some of us would like to remain at least close enough so we could see the people we care about!"

Takuya frowned and said, "Koji, you know you don't have to come if you don't want to. We won't force you to do anything you don't want to do, but it would be nice if we stuck to our pact!"

As I stared angrily back, Zoe said, "Come on, guys! Let's not fight over this!"

"Well, Zoe, JP, you guys like the idea! It seems it'll be just us going! Someone can't comprehend how to deal with other's happiness!" Takuya spat out as he stared at me.

I opened my mouth and closed it real quick and grimaced. I could feel my anger build up inside of me, and I knew it was time for me to go. I stood up and threw my money on the table and left before I could say anything I was going to regret. I grabbed my bike and started pedaling down the street. It wasn't like I was mad at Takuya for getting accepted to a school overseas. It's just, I was planning on staying around to be with my family. Yeah, I could afford moving over there to go to school, and my dad has been pushing me in that direction anyway, but what I really wanted was to be close to Koichi.

As I pedaled up to a different neighborhood a few blocks away, I headed towards a house that I called my second home. It was small and very quaint, but it didn't matter. It had more of a home feeling than the house I currently live in has.

As I brought my bike to the front of the house, I noticed the door open, so I dropped my bike and pushed my way in. There were boxes stuffed to the top with junk everywhere as I tried to walk through the maze, looking for my brother.

"Koichi! Dude, what's with all of this? Who's moving in?" I called as I glanced into a box with clothes in it.

"You mean, moving out!" My twin brother said as he stood up grinning. As he pushed his black hair away from his face, he asked, "What are you doing here? I thought you were out for ice cream with the guys."

I shrugged my shoulders as I climbed around the boxes to give my brother a hug. "Takuya's talking about another scheme to get out of Shibuya, and this one actually might work."

Koichi led me into the kitchen and we sat around the table to talk. The kitchen was a small room, but it was the only place in the house that didn't have boxes. As we settled down, he asked, "What's his plan?"

As I explained the situation to Koichi, he just sat there and listened quietly. That's one of my favorite aspects about my brother. No matter what, he would always take time out of his day to listen whatever problems I was having. He's also my best friend, but just the more level headed, mature best friend.

As I finished telling him about Takuya and the American university, Koichi pulled his laptop toward him and said, "Well, let's look up the school, shall we?"

I shook my head and replied, "I don't want to. Koichi, I don't want to travel overseas for school while you and Mom are still here."

However, Koichi wasn't paying attention. "Oh, look! They have an excellent Business program! That's what you want to study, right?"

"Koichi, please!" I exclaimed. "Will you listen? I don't want to go! I don't want to leave you and Mom behind!"

Koichi shut his laptop and looked at me with sad eyes. "Koji, look around you. All these boxes here? They're mine. I got that academic scholarship and a full ride at Kyoto University. I'll be leaving soon to go to orientation. And Mom is fine with it. She's moving out and looking for a cheaper apartment closer to her job."

I stared at him with a slight feeling of shock and rejection. I couldn't believe it. "So you're just going to be leaving soon? And you didn't tell me?" I said with a choked voice.

Koichi hung his head low and said, "Oh, I'm sorry, Koji. I was going to tell you, but we weren't sure if I was going to get the scholarship. And I got it.. I'm so sorry!"

The room felt a bit colder to me as I stood up and said, "I have to go."

Koichi looked at me sadly and replied, "Koji, please. Just look into this place. It doesn't sound that bad, and I bet with your friends, it'll be a lot of fun! Don't knock it until you try it. Look at this as a new adventure, and when we meet again, we'll share a whole lot of different stories!"

I hugged my brother and said, "Yeah, I guess you're right. I'll talk to Dad about it later. Thanks bro."

He hugged me back and replied, "Anytime, dude."

As I walked through the maze of boxes again, I couldn't help but feel a bit of pain. I know our days of carefree fun were coming to an end. I looked back to the kitchen to see Koichi standing in the doorway. He smiled and waved at me, which I returned as I closed the front door, ready to head home.

End of Chapter 1

**(A/N – There you go people! The first chapter of 'My Hero, My Adversary'! Got any suggestions or comments? Leave a review! (: Updates won't take long, so just hang tight! Thanks, ya'll!)**


	2. Chapter 2 : The Departure

Chapter 2: The Departure

Koji's POV

"Koji, son! Hurry up, and come downstairs! We have to leave for the airport soon!" My father called from the bottom of the steps. I glanced up from the picture of my mother I had been staring at and slid it into my wallet as I got to my feet. '10:55 PM is too late to get on a plane,' I thought. I grabbed the handle of my suitcase and looked around my room real quick. This trip was only for two weeks, but I still was going to miss it.

"Koji! Let's go!" Dad called again.

"Yeah, I'm coming," I replied as I shut the door behind me and dragged my suitcase downstairs.

As Dad loaded my stuff into the car, I hugged my stepmother and we said our farewells.

"Have fun in America, sweetie, and don't forget to take lots of pictures! Oh, and check your email! We'll miss you!" She said sweetly as pushed me towards the car. I climbed into the passenger seat and waved her goodbye as my dad drove away.

It has been a week since the confrontation with Takuya and Koichi. Takuya had texted me an apology immediately afterwards, which I accepted quickly. I can't be mad at that guy for too long, or he gets annoying. That night I came home, I looked up the school's website as my father walked in. He looked at the screen as well as I explained the situation, and of course, he loved it.

"Oh, Koji! That's great! Good choice, going overseas to study. I made that same choice back in the day! Well done!" He had said as he patted my shoulder. The next day, he had arranged everything with Takuya's parents, as well as JP and Zoe's, and now, we were about to head off on a long flight overseas to California. It had been planned that we were going to stay with Takuya's cousin, a young man named Alex, who attended the university and was going to go with us on the tour.

As we drove silently to the airport, we passed right by Koichi's neighborhood. His porch light was on, and I could see him sitting on the stoop, a book nestled in his lap and bike propped against the wall. As we passed by, I offered a small smile and a wave as he looked up from the book, grinning in my direction as he nodded his head. We had talked a bit before I left, and I knew he was jealous. Truth is, I was just as jealous as him. He was going to be closer to Mom, and I was possibly going far, far away.

As we entered a busier section of the city, Dad glanced at me and smiled. He patted my shoulder and said, "I'm so proud of you, son. Studying aboard is an amazing experience, especially now. Oh, I remember my days studying at the University of Southern California.. Oh, good times!" He ended with a sigh.

I laughed a little and said, "Definitely sounds fun, Dad."

"So, what are you studying? Business, right?" He asked as we turned into the parking garage of the airport. It wasn't as crowded, since it was getting pretty late in the evening, being 9:30 and all.

As Dad looked for a parking spot, I replied, "Yeah, that's the plan."

He parked the car and mumbled, "Good, good."

We unloaded the car and I put on my backpack, which held my electronics and a book Koichi had offered me. He wanted me to read it while I was gone, even though I hate reading. I probably won't get around to it, anyway. I plan on sleeping through this flight, if Takuya will let me.

We made our way inside and as the airport worker checked in my luggage, I heard Takuya laughing behind me. The lady took my bag and I turned around to see my best friend joking around with his little brother. Shinya looked just like his older brother, but much more lanky and not as much muscle. Takuya's mother was with him and fussed at the two boys for making a scene in the lobby.

As Dad and I made our way over, Takuya noticed us and smiled real big.

"Hey, Buddy! Nice to see you here!" He laughed as he walked over and shook hands with my father.

I smiled and replied, "I'm surprised you're here early. I thought we were going to have to hold up the plane and wait for you to come."

Our parents got to discussing everything while we waited for JP and Zoe. Zoe came first with her blonde mother and dark headed father, who was dragging two suitcases for Zoe. She looked like a celebrity ready to go with her giant pink purse and over-sized pink sunglasses. She waved at us and called in her always cheery voice, "Gooood evening, boys!"

JP was not far behind with his father, a big man with a balding head. They both looked cheerful as well as they checked in JP's one suitcase. As he joined us, Takuya's mom sniffed a bit and said, "Well, I guess it's time to send you guys on your way to the gate."

We each said good bye to our parents, and I shook my father's hand. He smiled at me and said, "Have a good time, Koji. Just give it a chance and I'm sure it'll all work out. Who knows, you may just fall in love with the school."

I shrugged my shoulders and said, "We'll see about that."

As we passed through security, I took one glance back towards our parents. Takuya's mom and JP's dad were waving like crazy as my father and Zoe's parents stood, looking proud as ever at their children. Takuya pushed me ahead and said, "Let's go, Buddy! America and her lovely ladies await!"

Zoe scuffed as she picked up her purse from the X-Ray machine and said, "Takuya! This is an educational trip, not you trying to pick up babes!"

Takuya grinned and she shouldered his pack, saying, "Zoe, calm down! I'm sure Prince Charming will be there as well for you!"

JP frowned and said, "I thought I could be your Prince Charming!"

As they walked towards the right gate, I took a final glance back. Our parents had left, but standing in their place was my brother, Koichi. He had a big smile on his face as he saw me looking. He raised a hand in the air and waved. He had no care in the world, and he could believe this trip could benefit me in some way. Well, if can believe I can have fun, than I should believe, too. I smiled back and waved as well before turning around. Taking a deep breath, I walked forward, following my friends. Up ahead, Takuya had already tripped over his shoelace and Zoe and JP were laughing, trying to help the dope to his feet. This is definitely going to be one hell of a trip, I can already tell.


End file.
